This afternoon, Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck (Position 8) and newly elected Councilmember Dionne Foster (Position 9) were ceremonially sworn into office. Both will serve full four-year terms and represent citywide seats. Tuesday’s Council business also included the selection of Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3) as the council president.  

“It is an incredible honor to serve as your councilmember for the Office of Position 8. Over the past year, my office has been committed to delivering for working people, and this re-election to a full term is validation that the people of Seattle want us to continue our efforts to build a Seattle that works for all of us,” said Councilmember Rinck. “I believe it is my paramount duty to use every tool at my disposal to improve the lives of Seattleites and that is what I am committed to for the next four years. Let us go onward together.”  

Councilmember Rinck was first elected to the Council in 2024. A graduate of Syracuse University and the University of Washington’s Evans School, she previously served as a policy analyst for the Sound Cities Association, and as a director at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, and an assistant director for policy, planning and state operations at the University of Washington.  
 
Since joining the City Council, Councilmember Rinck has championed working families through her leadership on the Select Committee on Federal Policy Changes, fighting for union-built social housing, immigrant rights, and progressive revenue solutions to ensure a more equitable future for all Seattle residents. She will serve as Human Services, Labor, and Economic Development Committee chair.  

“I’m humbled and excited to represent the residents of Seattle and all the communities, neighborhoods and networks that make our city so special,” said Councilmember Foster. “My office will work tirelessly to deliver for our neighbors across the city with a focus on improving housing affordability and abundance, supporting initiatives that improve the cost of living for Seattleites and make it easier to get from place to place safely and efficiently. I’m also excited to work collaboratively with my colleagues on Council, the Mayor’s Office and City Attorney to achieve our shared goals. Finally, I look forward to partnering with both the community and City Hall to deliver meaningful results.”  

Councilmember Foster will begin her term serving as chair of the Housing, Arts and Civil Rights Committee. She has spent the last 15 years improving access and outcomes for vulnerable Seattleites. Her career spans the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors, where the common thread has been a commitment to service. Councilmember Foster holds an undergraduate degree from George Mason University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Washington, where she later served as adjunct faculty. Foster was most recently the Executive Director of Washington Progress Alliance where she invested in research, organizing, and policy to improve outcomes in LGBTQ, immigrant and civil rights, housing equity, and improving representative governments across Washington state. 

Councilmember Foster is a proud resident of South Seattle, where she is raising her family. 

New council president  

Preceding the ceremonial oaths, Councilmember Hollingsworth was selected unanimously as council president. She was elected to the council in 2023, representing the District 3 neighborhoods of Eastlake, Montlake, Madison Park, Madison Valley, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Portage Bay, Leschi, Madrona and the Central District. In 2025 she led the yearlong Council process for adopting the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

“I am honored to be elected council president. A big thank you to my colleagues for their vote of confidence and partnership,” said Council President Hollingsworth. “Our council body will focus on the bold basics and fundamentals of city government, delivering clear, measurable outcomes for all Seattleites.” 

A fourth-generation Seattleite, Council President Hollingsworth was born and raised in the historic Central District neighborhood. She is a former professional athlete and educator, who has built a career defined by leadership and community service. After playing basketball at the University of Arizona and professionally in Athens, Greece, she returned home to earn a Master’s in Education at the University of Washington and coach at Seattle University. Council President Hollingsworth then transitioned to the private sector to manage operations for her family’s business, Hollingsworth Farms—one of the few Black-owned independent cannabis and hemp farms in Washington. Most recently, she leveraged her operational expertise at Northwest Harvest to champion statewide food security and equitable access. 

The council president serves as the presiding officer of the Council, sets the meeting agenda, assigns legislation to committees, and is the primary point of contact for external agencies. The council president also assumes the duties and responsibilities of the Executive if the Mayor is absent from the city or incapacitated. The office has a two-year term.  

Committee assignments 

Finally, Tuesday’s votes included the approval of committee assignments and leadership positions. 

• Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments – Chair Strauss, Vice-Chair Rivera 
• Housing, Arts, and Civil Rights – Chair Foster, Vice-Chair Lin 
• Human Services, Labor, and Economic Development – Chair Rinck, Vice-Chair Foster 
• Land Use and Sustainability – Chair Lin, Vice-Chair Strauss  
• Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods – Chair Rivera, Vice-Chair Hollingsworth  
• Parks and City Light – Chair Juarez, Vice-Chair Kettle  
• Governance and Utilities – Chair Hollingsworth, Vice-Chair Juarez 
• Public Safety – Chair Kettle, Vice-Chair Saka  
• Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center – Chair Saka, Vice-Chair Rinck 

Additional details can be found in the Council’s agenda packet materials.  

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